Microsoft has built a simple but very informative laptop battery diagnostic tool into Windows 11. This report makes it possible to accurately check the overall health of the battery and assess whether replacement is really necessary, without the need for additional software or advanced technical knowledge.
A decrease in autonomy, sudden drops in capacity from 30 to below 20 percent or a constant search for a charger often indicate a dead battery. It is important to keep in mind that batteries are consumables and that they inevitably lose capacity over time, regardless of how they are used. Various advice on “ideal” charging can help to some extent, but cannot prevent the natural aging and degradation of battery characteristics.
If the battery no longer provides nearly the performance it had before, Windows 11 makes it possible to check this very clearly through the official system report.
ZDNETIt is necessary to type in the Windows Search field PowerShell and start it by pressing Enter. The command is then entered in the open window
powercfg /batteryreport /output “C:\battery-report.html”
and is confirmed again with the key Enter.
How to run the battery health report in Windows 11
The system will generate an HTML document in the C: directory. By opening that file in the browser, you get a detailed report that contains information about the type of battery, its chemistry, current condition and charging history.
One of the most important parameters is design capacitythat is, the capacity the battery had when it was new, expressed in mWh. It is located right below full charge capacitywhich shows the maximum capacity of the battery today. The difference between these two numbers gives a clear insight into the degree of degradation.
ZDNETFor most medium-sized laptop batteries, a capacity reduction of about 15 percent already becomes noticeable in daily use, while a loss of about 20 percent is generally considered a realistic signal that replacement is warranted. However, it is not a strict rule, because the subjective feeling of battery life can vary depending on the way of use.
The report also shows cycle countthat is, the number of full cycles. One cycle does not necessarily mean a discharge from 100 to 0 percent in one day, but a total energy consumption equal to the full capacity of the battery, even if it is achieved through several partial discharges and charges. Most laptop batteries are designed for about 500 cycles, after which a drop in capacity of about 20 percent is usually noted.
ZDNETLighter office users, who often keep the laptop connected to the charger, can reach a significantly lower number of cycles over several years, while intensive users, gamers and those who often work on the move consume the battery faster, especially due to higher system heating. Both types of use are normal, because batteries are intended to be used, not to be “stored”.
In part Battery life estimates an estimated battery life based on recent usage is shown, as well as a comparative value showing how long the same usage would have lasted when the battery was new. A large difference between these two values often clearly indicates serious degradation.
Replacing the battery in most cases does not require the purchase of a new laptop computer. Manufacturers such as Dell, HP and Lenovo offer original replacement batteries for specific models, either as a stand-alone product or through service programs. If the device is still under warranty, the replacement can be done without additional costs, writes ZDNET.